Saara hardwickii
| Saara hardwickii | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Agamidae |
| Genus: | Uromasticinae |
| Genus: | Saara |
| Species: | S. hardwickii |
| Binomial name | |
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Saara hardwickii (Gray, 1827) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Saara hardwickii, commonly known as Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizard or the Indian spiny-tailed lizard is a species of agamid lizard found patchily distributed in the Thar desert, Kutch, and surrounding arid zones in India and Pakistan. These lizards are mainly herbivorous are live in numbers in some areas. These lizards are found in loose clusters and attract raptors and predators. They are also hunted by local peoples in the belief that the fat extracted from it is an aphrodisiac.
Traditionally this species was placed in the genus Uromastyx, but in 2009 it was moved to the genus Saara together with the closely related S. asmussi and S. loricata.
The specific name, hardwickii, commemorates English naturalist Thomas Hardwicke who brought illustrations of the species from which J.E. Gray described it.
It has been suggested that Uromastyx sensu lato along with the sister group of Leiolepis may be considered as a distinct family, the Uromastycidae, however this is not widely accepted as the rest of the Agamidae do not form a clear sister group.
The type locality for the species is Kanauj district in Uttar Pradesh. It inhabits the dry desert tracts of the northern half of the plains of India into Pakistan. It ranges from Uttar Pradesh in the east to Rajasthan in the West and the Kachchh area of Gujarat. The hot Thar desert is the stronghold of this species and are found extensively in the Jaisalmer, Barmer and Churu districts in Rajasthan. It is also found in some parts of Madhya Pradesh (Rewa).
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